Overall usage on social media platforms is exploding. Millions and millions of consumers are expressing likes on Facebook, tweeting about products on Twitter, and pinning on Pinterest every single day.

Retailers and brands are increasingly focusing their attention on social commerce.

But many struggle with the question: how do you convert a "like," a "tweet," or "pin" into a sale? Is social media really going to be a source of dollars and foot traffic?

In a recent report from BI Intelligence, we look at successful examples of businesses and business models for generating commerce via social media-based strategies.

We also analyzePinterest's success as a social commerce platform, look at Facebook's potential as a social commerce contender, and we examine the numbers behind the social commerce conversion and order value gap. The report is supplemented by rich datasets on social commerce, and subscribers will also receive full access to BI Intelligence's full library of hundreds of in-depth reports, charts and datasets — including up to date coverage on social commerce.

Here's an overview of the converging trends that promise to transform social media into a viable commerce platform: